Former Mexico Police Chief in US Court

May 16, 2026, 11:18
Latin AmericaInternational

Introduction

Gerardo Mérida Sánchez was a security leader in Sinaloa, Mexico. US police caught him in Arizona. Now he is in a US court.

Main Body

Mr. Sánchez worked as a security chief from 2023 to 2024. US police arrested him at the border. He has guns and drugs. He can go to prison for 40 years or for his whole life. He took $100,000 every month from a drug group called 'Los Chapitos'. He told the drug group about police plans. This helped the drug group hide their drugs and people. Ten officials from Sinaloa are in trouble. Some are the Governor and a Mayor. They are not in prison yet. President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico says these people should have trials in Mexico, not in the US.

Conclusion

Mr. Sánchez is in jail. He will go to court on June 1. Other officials are still free.

Learning

🕒 Talking about the Past vs. Now

In this story, we see how to change words to show if something is finished or still happening.

The "Finished" Style (Past) When something is over, we often add -ed to the action word:

  • Work →\rightarrow Worked
  • Arrest →\rightarrow Arrested

Special word: Took (This is the past of 'take').

The "Right Now" Style (Present) When something is true today, the word stays simple or uses "is/are":

  • He is in jail.
  • They are not in prison.

💡 A2 Pro Tip: People & Places Notice how we use in for locations:

  • In Arizona
  • In Mexico
  • In court

If you are inside a building or a country, use in.

Vocabulary Learning

security (n.)
protection against danger
Example:She works in security at the airport.
chief (n.)
leader or head of a group
Example:The chief of the team decided to start early.
police (n.)
people who enforce the law
Example:The police arrived quickly.
border (n.)
a line that separates two countries
Example:The border between the two countries is guarded.
prison (n.)
a place where people are kept as punishment
Example:He was sent to prison for five years.
drug (n.)
a harmful medicine or substance
Example:The police found illegal drugs.
group (n.)
a number of people together
Example:The group went to the market.
governor (n.)
the leader of a state
Example:The governor announced new rules.
mayor (n.)
the leader of a city
Example:The mayor met with the council.
president (n.)
the head of a country
Example:The president gave a speech.
court (n.)
a place where legal cases are decided
Example:She went to court to defend herself.
jail (n.)
a small prison
Example:He was in jail for a short time.
trial (n.)
a legal test to decide if someone is guilty
Example:The trial lasted two days.
free (adj.)
not in prison or not paying
Example:He was free after the sentence ended.
month (n.)
a period of about 30 days
Example:It takes one month to finish the project.
money (n.)
paper or coins used to buy things
Example:She saved money for a trip.
year (n.)
365 days
Example:He will retire in a year.
people (n.)
human beings
Example:Many people attended the event.
plan (n.)
a set of ideas to do something
Example:We made a plan for the weekend.
hide (v.)
to keep something out of sight
Example:He hid the letter under the floor.
help (v.)
to give assistance
Example:She helped her friend with homework.
told (v.)
to say something
Example:He told the truth.
take (v.)
to get or keep
Example:She will take the money.
every (adj.)
each one
Example:Every child gets a gift.
still (adv.)
even now
Example:He is still waiting.
not (adv.)
opposite of yes
Example:He is not happy.
in (prep.)
inside a place
Example:She is in the room.